Postoperative Management After Penile Fracture Surgery: Intra-operative Drainage Is Not Associated With Early...

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Trauma Management

Background:

• Penile fracture is a rare urological emergency requiring surgical exploration.
• The role of intraoperative drainage in penile fracture repair is not well-established.
• Limited evidence exists regarding the impact of drainage on postoperative outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of intraoperative drain placement on early postoperative complications after penile fracture repair.
• To assess the association between drainage and symptoms such as sexual pain at 1 month post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective multicenter study of 457 patients with surgically confirmed penile fractures (2000-2024).
• Patients stratified based on intraoperative drain placement.
• Primary outcome: early postoperative complications (hematoma, infection, etc.). Secondary outcomes: hospital stay, symptoms at 1 and 3 months.

Main Results:

• Drain placement (34% of patients) was linked to longer operative time and hospital stay.
• No significant association between drain use and overall postoperative complications (p=0.63).
• Urethral injury was significantly associated with complications (p=0.03); sexual pain was more frequent in the drain group at 1 month (25% vs 18%, p=0.04).

Conclusions:

• Intraoperative drainage in penile fracture repair did not reduce early morbidity.
• Drainage was associated with increased hospital stay and sexual pain at one month.
• Routine drain use is not supported; placement should be individualized based on intraoperative findings.